Homemade Mayonnaise

During the reign of Henry IV of France, a sauce that had no other name than “cold sauce” was popular. One day, the Duke of Mayenne refused to leave his chicken salad with cold sauce to go to battle. France lost the battle, but the sauce, now named mayonnaise after the duke, became legendary.

Whether this tale is true or nothing but a culinary joke, it won’t make any sense at all if the only mayonnaise you’ve ever tasted is store-bought. Homemade mayonnaise is so far superior to even the best commercial product, it’s a wonder they share the same name. We find many cooks are afraid of making mayonnaise, so they never get to enjoy the real thing. Too bad, because making mayonnaise is really very easy.